Stargazing @ SUNY Albany -- II

As a part of our Stargazing Events, We invite you to next event on Monday, Feb 1, 2010.


We will see three planets and our moon in the next stargazing session on Monday morning, Feb. 1, starting at 5:30 AM, which is around dawn.

Overcast skies blocked our session on Sunday. It is impossible to predict the weather with certainty; to learn why, take Fluid Mechanics (physics 472/572) or Bayesian Analysis (physics 551).

This early morning session will be a real treat. We can see Saturn, still plenty high toward the southwest. Six of its famous satellites may be in view about the planet's equator, while Iapetus appears to the lower right.

Our Moon is the most dazzling object to view at night through the telescope. On Monday morning it is a waning gibbous, nearing the western horizon.

Mars will be setting as we arrive, in view to the unaided eye but probably out of the telescope's sight. Someday we'll have to catch it up close; but this morning belongs to Mercury.

The sun's closest planet will give its best view for a while on Monday morning around 7. Not to get our hopes too high: up just before sunrise, Mercury may not reach the telescope's sight line before solar glare washes it away.

Please dress warmly as the observatory is outdoors! While waiting for a turn to view you may wish to wait in the warmer hallway.

If the weather isn't clear then we will cancel. Twitter AlbanyStarGaze for updates.

Bye Bye Mars Rover... Spirit [An attempt at fiction]

The quest had been "After so much time trying to come out of this slippery place... are they going to let it go?"  "The wheels are already not working, how long can they keep it dragging?" Public opinions are sometimes very sharp.


"I hate to be in this decision making eco-system..." remarks Dr. Z.
"After being involved in this project for some fraction of my life, I feel like.." [his voice breaks]...

"... It is like a family member after you spent so much time with it. ..." [he gathers it]

"... we had so many nice time together..."
"Had it been killed immediately after its time was up, it would have been less painful... As a project manager I have seen so many projects come and go."

"We expected it to last for what ... 90 days? give or take ... it has been running for six years in row ... day and night... We even changed our life style for it's efficient use."

Finally, the call has come into order.

"I am sorry to leave you there in cold... and alone. 
Bye Bye Spirit... you will be remembered."


http://marsrover.nasa.gov/home/index.html

http://marsrover.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20100126a.html
Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004. They have been exploring for six years, far surpassing their original 90-day mission. Opportunity currently is driving toward a large crater called Endeavor and continues to make scientific discoveries. It has driven approximately 12 miles and returned more than 133,000 images.

[This is just a fiction]
Incidently, tonight marks one significant date

On Jan. 27, Mars will be closer to Earth than any other time between 2008 and 2014.

Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/mars-earth-close-encounter/

Observatory Night@ SUNY Albany

For our first session of the semester two great planets and our moon as well as farther, wider objects will be in view.

Jupiter, one of the top two planets to see in any telescope, will be setting just as we arrive on the rooftop. At 5 pm it won't yet be dusk, so the sun's glare may prevent us from viewing Jupiter's four giant moons. We will need luck in order to catch the planet in the telescope.

Will anyone bring binoculars? In any case we can get acquainted with the planet using just our eyes.

Our Moon is the most fabulous object to view at night through the telescope. On Sunday it is a waxing gibbous, an excellent time to zero in on the landing sites of some of the Apollo missions! (Sorry, we can't see the flags.)

Next, as we peer at a cloudy white region known as the Great Nebula in Orion, we can imagine it is the birth of our own sun - probably similar stars are being born there now!

Mars will be on the rise as we prepare to exit the premises. While it may not be viewable in the scope, we can identify the planet for next week; its position won't change much in that time!

Remember to dress warmly as the observatory is outdoors! While waiting for your turn to view you may wish to wait in the warmer hallway.

If the weather isn't clear then we will cancel.
Follow the announcements at AlbanyStarGaze for updates.

--

Phil Erner
PhD student, SUNY Albany.

Note: We will be bringing pictures of the event and updates.
Previously we had some nice moon pictures... here.

Connecting Through Google Friend Connect

There are a lot of social connection gadgets aiming to bring together the audience of your blog or website.
Namely: Networked Blog through Facebook, My Blog Log, Blog Catalog, Google Friend Connect etc. etc.

I think connecting through google friend connect should be the easiest one. It can be easily integrated into the site.  See the video below.
Although there are a lot of people using Networked Blog through Facebook account, some find it not so convenient. Facebook connect is growing for sure. We can talk about that in future. :)


Once it is installed, connection becomes very easy!

Installation is  easy.
This video explains it all!



I find many blogs out there to be based upon blogger platform. So, installation is piece of cake.





Related:
http://googlesocialweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/google-friend-connect-now-more.html